Slay the LSAT Monsters: Reading Comp, Logic Games, LRs

Halloween’s just around the corner, and the scariest thing this year isn’t witches, Satanists, or your sister’s barely-there nurse costume. Rather, Halloween starts the 1-month countdown to the December LSAT.

By now, you should be pretty far along in your studies. You should also have a nemesis in the form of one of the sections. Van Helsing had his Dracula. William Stoughton had his witches. Dr. Frankenstein had Frankenstein’s monster (probably should have seen that one coming).

Each section can be terrifying in its own right. However, each section has its own silver bullet – a strategy to destroy it in one fell blow.

But where can you find these amazing, anti-monster strategies? Consider the Most Strongly Supported LSAT blog your one-stop, monster-killing shop.

LSAT Reading Comp

To which monster is it similar? Reading Comp is the zombie. It just keeps coming. And coming. And coming. Just when you think it’s over, a new column begins. And its one desire in life is to eat your brains.

Method for attacking it? Just like a zombie, aim for the head. In this case, the head is the author’s opinion. The majority of questions will relate back to the main point of the author. If you can take that head on, you’ll be golden.

So look for statements of opinion that aren’t attributed to someone else. Those are telling you the author’s opinion. Line up your shot and blow that sumbitch’s head clean off.

And if the zombie doesn’t have a head? Well, then you’re screwed. Luckily, if the author doesn’t have an opinion, you’re still golden. Knowing the author is neutral on the topic allows you to pick the neutral answer choices.

Either way, you’ve just slayed the zombie, LSAT-style.

LSAT Logic Games

To which monster is it similar? Logic Games is Frankenstein’s monster. You’ve got 5-6 different people whom you’re trying to arrange into some combination that laughs in the face of God. Also, it seems like there’s probably some math involved.

Method for attacking it? Fire. Burn that mother down. In the middle of the LSAT testing center, light the LSAT on fire and dance on its ashes. If for some reason you don’t want a felony arson charge, light LSAT logic games on fire figuratively.

View this strategy as more of a fuse leading to a bomb than a straight-up torch you’re going to hold under good ol’ Frank. The strategy here is to light that fuse on fire and follow it up in a straight path until the TNT goes off.

Logic games are all about having a set strategy and following it every time. Like a fuse, any interruption will disrupt progress and result in a fizzle instead of an explosion (and, like Michael Bay, you want an explosion). So have your strategy and follow it every time. Then, boom goes the dynamite.

And yes, I’m aware that this analogy is as tortured as the monster for which it’s offered as a solution.

LSAT Logical Reasoning

To which monster is it similar? Logical Reasoning is, most definitely, Dracula. Erudite. Well-read on a variety of topics (he’s had centuries to become learned). And able to make you believe an argument that is very much flawed.

Method for attacking it? Everyone knows that you take down a vampire with a wooden stake to the heart. That’s also the best way to take out the LR section (I’m speaking metaphorically – wooden stakes are NOT allowed in the LSAT testing centers, despite my constant petitioning LSAC to have them added on to the approved materials list).

So what do I mean by this? Flaws are a huge part of the LSAT Logical Reasoning section. Almost every question relies on your ability to spot flaws. Those that don’t rely on this ability rely on your ability to avoid committing flaws of your own.

And what is a flaw? It’s a gap in the argument – an assumption that drives a wedge between the premises and conclusion.

So view the common fallacies as your wooden stake, and drive a wedge through the heart of the argument. If you get those flaws down so that you spot them in everyday life, you’ll be golden for the LSAT. I really can’t stress this enough: the key to the LR section is spotting flaws.

Now armed with an arsenal of monster/LSAT-destroying tools/weak analogies, get ready for battle. Attack the LSAT like it’s zombie apocalypse. And you’re a survivor. Who has guns and things. What I’m saying is, don’t let the LSAT eat your brains, and you’ll be able to start a new utopia where you’re a lawyer, because that’s definitely what we’ll need to reboot civilization.